About Us/Contact

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Steven Davis, Kyle Lafferty; we don't need to hear them

With Scotland
facing Northern Ireland
tomorrow night at Hampden, it sees a return to Glasgow of two controversial ex-Rangers
players, Steven Davis and Kyle Lafferty.

Both rejected the chance to stay
at Ibrox, both rejected the opportunity to TUPE their contracts over to Charles
Green’s newco consortium, and both, being on the opposing team tomorrow night,
have gone to the press with their views.

But are these views worth
listening to?

At the time, they, along with
Naismith, McGregor and Whittaker, all of whom will ironically be facing the
former two tomorrow night as part of the hosts, were castigated widely by
Rangers fans.

Not, you understand, for leaving.
Most Rangers supporters accepted players of this quality would not want to play
their football in the Third Division among the uncertainty of the Club’s
future.

Their departures were
understandable. No, the ire fans have is that by not TUPEing over, Rangers were
unable to command a fee for them, and players the Club had spent millions on
(and thousands on in treatment regarding Naismith) just upped and left and did
not look back.

With Rangers in a perilous
predicament, these players decided they were more important than the Club and
left. Many point to the fee Southampton paid for Davis, but it was merely a goodwill gesture,
and they were under no obligation. For that reason they have some fans’
respect.

But the players, do they?

Davis said on the eve of the match:

"We always seemed to do well in the cup
competitions but none of us – whether you were a fan or a player – could have
foreseen what would happen at the club. When you play football, you don’t
really have your mind on anything else but with the publicity Rangers get, we
started to get away from that.

When the new people came in, we didn’t know who we were dealing with
and there was no dialogue in terms of telling us which direction the club was
going in. We never heard from the new owners about how they wanted to take the
club forward or what their ambitions were for the next four or five years.

We didn’t even hear how the next six months might pan out. There were
no conversations had with us at all and it was an impossible situation for
everybody. I didn’t ever get a phone call to say what the plans were or what
the aims of the club were to try to progress.

It was difficult because nobody really knew what sanctions were going
to be applied and if we were going to be relegated or not. We were put in a
position where we had to make a decision on our futures without knowing what
the future might hold in store."

Many might nod acknowledgement at
these views, and understand the uncertainty, and give concessions. But then…if
this was such a problem, very strange how international players like McCulloch,
Wallace, Alexander, Bocanegra, Edu, and Goian to name just 6 were quite happy
to TUPE over.

Laferty, for what it is worth,
adds:

“Some Rangers fans have asked me if I’d go
back there and I’d jump at the chance, but whether that’s an option
or not is another thing. What happened for me at Rangers was disappointing.
That wasn’t how I wanted to end my career there. But it had to be done.

“I’ve supported Rangers since I was a young boy and still support them
now. It would be good to go back to change people’s perceptions of me. If I
went back now I’d let my football do the talking. Hopefully that would change
their minds of me.”

All very tub-thumping indeed but
unfortunately like Davis
his selfish departure rather undermines his good sentiments. Plus the rather
comical notion that he would jump at the chance to return, but would not jump
at the chance to stay, nor has he shown any desire until this match to ever
make the journey back to Govan.

All a bit convenient.

Many reading this might say ‘move
on, it is in the past’ – they are right, it is. But at the same time the old
wounds have been more than teased by two of the biggest perpetrators of the
exodus in 2012 opening their mouths.

28 comments:

Just think of all the extra money Charles Green would have been able to blow or give to Ally to waste on old aged dross. These guys staying would have made no difference in the long run and they were perfectly entitled to make their own choices and there is no reason why they should not be able to explain their reasoning when asked a direct question. Maybe they were just ahead of their time in that they started the boycott long before anyone else even had the thought enter their head, maybe they simply knew something the rest of us didn't.

What a load of rubbish. Whether or not the money would have made any difference in the long run is beside the point. As the article states, no one expected them to stay to play football in the lower divisions, but when the club was in trouble, they couldn't get away fast enough so they could negotiate big money deals for themselves. I doubt if their "explanations" or excuses will carry much weight with the majority of Rangers supporters. They turned their backs on the club when we needed them and for me anyway, that's how they'll be remembered. None of them need hurry back.

Why is it a load of rubbish? Because you don't agree with it? It's only someone's opinion but I guess that's the problem here, so many Rangers fans don't say anything because they are shouted down for daring to have a different opinion from the mob mentality we see spouted all over websites like this.

Anonymous 25 March 03:57. As you say it's only someone's opinion, but just because I think it's a load of rubbish, hardly means that I've shouted anyone down. Nor does it have anything to do with "mob mentality." There are many different opinions on this website and there's absolutely no reason why anyone shouldn't feel free to express their own. Sorry if I upset you but, what I posted above is just my opinion and you or anyone else are free to agree or disagree with it. Is that not the whole idea of these sites? Anyway, I stand by what I posted. Feel free to reply if you want to discuss it. We don't need to fall out about it..

I don't think it should remain buried. They were only interested in feathering their own nests, especially Lafferty who has achieved nothing since leaving Rangers. He professes to be a lifetime gers supporter. If that's the case he found it very easy to bale out.

I agree, we could have had the cream of scottish football at Ibrox when we were dropped into the 3rd Division, but would have made no difference at all with Ally McCoist being manager. Ally was inexperienced, tactically inept, immature,, just a very very poor coach and manager. I remember Charles green did try and get rid of Ally, but the Rangers fans were against it, blind loyalty. Ally is still cashing in on our financial crisis, he is no better than the old board, he is a parasite,,and please spare me the "legend" clap trap,, its the players that were round about him that gave him the ball on a plate to score,, he scored one in fifteen chances, FACT, Steven Davis and Lafferty were right to leave,, as were the other Rangers players,, it was the McCoists job to bring in the young talent and blend with a little experience, however, he was just the wrong man for the job. You know,, to this very day,, Charles Green is the only person that has published a business action plan for Rangers, giving clear direction where the club should go,,including sacking parasite McCoist. Not even the new board has came out with a future plan of their intentions. There is 3 questions I would like to ask David King and Paul Murray,1. Do you agree with Craig Whyte to liquidate the company at the time? 2. If not, what would you have done to prevent Rangers being liquidated? 3. Why didn't you?? There is still a lot of information to come out in the wash here!,, And one more thing my fellow bears,, We have won a game,, lets not break out the champagne just yet,, its still a disgrace we have not won this league and McCoist and co should be ashamed and embarrassed for such!!, but im sure they will laugh it off and pick up spending money from their bank accounts!!!

At the time, like many other Rangers supporters I was unhappy at the way our best players left us; McGregor, Whittaker, Davis, Naismith and Lafferty, not forgetting the younger boys like Ness and McCabe.However, you have to look at what these 5 players had in common, they were all at an age where their careers were on the up. Whether we like it or not, all were international players with the potential to earn caps as well as being finacially secure in the future. Before you jump down my throat and say I agree with this, I can't make my mind up whether I agree or not, but you have to look at the situation at the time. Like Steven Davis said, not quoting the whole statement but; 'When the new people came in, we didn’t know who we were dealing with and there was no dialogue in terms of telling us which direction the club was going in. We didn’t even hear how the next six months might pan out'. For anyone, in any job, thats fightening, if any of us had the potential to leave a job that is insecure and being asked to take drastic wage cuts, we'd move on if we knew there was security and at least similar wages in another job.I know this is not a normal situation and Rangers are not a normal club, but I have to admit i sympathise with them in the choices they had to make.For Lafferty, if you recall, he had fallen out big style with Ally McCoist and I believe he was on his way out.Naismith is a slightly different and angersome situation, as Rangers nurtured him back twice from serious injuries, so I was a bit miffed he left.What I agree with, is that 'Anonymous 24 March 2015 " 12:55 stated, 'Just think of all the extra money Charles Green would have been able to blow or give to Ally to waste on old aged dross'. Could we disagree?My final point is, the loss of the youth guys who left, in my mind had more impact for the future of the club than the 5 players listed, only of course if Ally was prepared to play them. Imagine if we had succeded in bringing in around 10 million pounds for the 5 players, what would have happened to that money? I am sure it would not have been ploughed back into the club.I for one, would welcome all 5 players back to the club, Davis, Lafferty and Naismith are Rangers boys and men, Whittaker and McGregor are not, but credit to McGregor as he has Rangers at heart.

You're missing the point. It's not about whether the players were right to go. As it says in the article, no one expected them to stay. The thing is that Rangers were in a bad way and instead of making sure we got transfer fees for them, they all left the club in the lurch to negotiate lucrative deals for themselves. How the transfer fees would have been spent has nothing to do with it either as that's pure conjecture, At the time Rangers were desperate for money and this selfish bunch chose to scarper and leave us to get on with it. As for them being worried about their future job situation, I don't think any of them would be too concerned as they all new perfectly well that there would be plenty of offers for them. To me, none of them are Rangers men and they won't be welcomed back.

Not sure I would welcome all five players back. Lafferty was a bloody liability and was never worth the money Walter shelled out for him. Whittaker was OK at times but too inconsistent for my liking. The other three I wouldn't mind taking back but I would much rather see us moving forward with young players coming through the ranks. That's why I hope DK wasn't just paying lip service when he said we needed a coach rather than a manager - and to be honest I'm not sure McCall is the kind of coach we need to do that.

They along with their team mates jettisoned the Gers in their darkest hour and chose to line their pockets. Understandable perhaps, they done what they felt was right for them, touché..... I detest each and every one of them with a passion for what they did to my club.

Davis & Laugherty know what they did and how they will be treated here, hence their timely excuses.

Like most supporters and like you say there was an understanding that these players couldn't stay. My recollection is that Davis, like McGregor, remained silent throughout the process and joined his new club having given Green and, for that matter McCoist, plenty of opportunity to talk to them. My problem has always been and remains with Naismith and Whittaker and that press conference they gave. That for me was the ultimate betrayal and in Naismith's case was so hard to bear because I had believed that he was a true Rangers man.

The money would not have come to the club or Charles Green .The money for Davis was regarded as old co. money and I believe the SFA grabbed it .At very least it should have gone into pot for creditors repayment , so a couple of million for these guys either to the old co.or the club would have been a positive way for them to leave .

Hi everyone, I'm no exprpert on ebt's, these were deemed legal as they were classed as loans, millions were paid out, does any one know if and how these were not pursued for some kind of repayment.Perhaps someone with knowledge of ebt loans can clarify, thanks.

All the players who left Rangers in the clubs hour of need are dead to me, and I don't care if they call themselves Rangers men, I never want to see them step foot in Ibrox again>. Just like the SPL clubs who voted us down at the expense of their own financial wows, they will never receive a penny from me ever again. If Rangers ever re-sign any of these shameful characters, I WILL walk away and never return nor will I ever buy any merchandise, that's how strongly I feel about what happened. All those who left let us down, and if the board do anything to bring any of them back, then they are just as bed, WE DONT NEED THEM.

Davis did insist part of his signing on fee was paid to Rangers . It was not anything like they would have received in a transfer fee , but a decent gesture none the less ( as Charles Green said at the time ) . He's still a class act as a player , better than any midfielder we've had since his departure . I'd welcome him back anytime .

Give Davis a break. He was perhaps the key Rangers player in the 3 SPL championships, various cups and Uefa Final achieved during Walter's second spell. He never gave less than 100% and it's my understanding he was influential in Southampton belatedly agreeing a fee for his services. Remember him for, amongst other goals & assists, busting a gut to outsprint Maloney and reach Miller's cut-back against Celtic in April 2009 - the goal which effectively clinched the title - not for a career decision any one of us would make.

The players were correct in leaving. If the fans had the brains to leave at the same time - we could have avoided another couple of years of turmoil. With gangsters in charge (and thats exactly what charles green, mather etc are) our club was continiously raped and plundered, whilst daft fans supported Charles Green as he slagged off the SFA. How easy the fans were manipulated by a crook like Green.

QUITE FRANKLY BOTH ARE WELL PAST THERE SELL BY DATES LAST THING WE NEED IS ANYMORE OLD FACES KNOCKING ABOUT. ITS ABOUT TIME WE GAVE THE KIDS AS MUCH OF A CHANCE AS POSSIBLE. WHAT ALSO ANNOYS ME , IS THE WAY THE TEAM PLAYED AT THE WEEKEND WHERE HAS THIS DESIRE BEEN FOR THE PAST 5/6 GAMES, THEN TO HEAR MILLER & SHIELS SAYING HOW THYE ARE WORKING ARDER ETC, IT IS SO FRUSTRATING, WHY CANT THYE WORK HARD EVERY WEEK??

STUART'S INFLUENCE WILL HAVE A LOT 2 DO WITH THAT RESULT, IT'S ALL ABOUT CONFIDENCE & GOOD MAN MANAGEMENT. JUST HOPE WE CAN KICK ON FROM HERE. THEY NEED 2 GET INTO THEIR HEADS WE ARE RANGERS WE ARE THE BEST.NOT ARROGANCE JUST MENTAL BELIEF.

FUCK THEM ! WE'VE FOUGHT 2GETHER FOR 4 YEARS 2 SAVE THE CLUB WE ALL LOVE . LET THEM JOIN THE FOREIGN LEGION , WELL KNOWN FOR DESERTERS ! PLAYING 4 THE CLUB YOU GREW UP SUPPORTING SHOULD BE AN PRIVILIGE NOT A CAREER CHOICE.